1 million new BlackBerry 10 phones sold in 4th quarter

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In this Jan. 30, 2013 file photo, the BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is displayed in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

TORONTO (AP) - Research In Motion says it sold about 1 million of its critically important new BlackBerry 10 devices and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter.

The earnings provide a first glimpse of how RIM's new touch-screen Z10 is selling internationally and in Canada since its debut Jan. 31. Details on the U.S. launch are not part of Thursday's financial results because the Z10 just went on sale in the U.S. last week.

In the quarter that ended March 2, Research In Motion Ltd. earned $98 million, or 19 cents a share, compared with a loss of $125 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue fell 36 percent to $2.7 billion, from $4.2 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected $2.82 billion.

The company also announced that co-founder Mike Lazaridis will retire as vice chairman and director.